Door-control apparatus



Aug. 26 1924.4

INVENTOR QQ' BY ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. Z6, i924.

UlTElD STTES PATENT GFFICE.,

ALBERT GOTTSC-Lfl. @E NE'W YORK, N. Y., LSSIGNOR T0 NATIONAL PNEUMATICYORK, N. Y., A OORPEATTON QF WEST VIRGINIA.

@GCR-CONTROL A'PPARATUS.

Application filed April 1, 1921.

T 0 r/,ZZ whom t may concern Be it known that l, Lnnn'r @cresci-tilinga. citizen ot the `United States, residing al' New York, county otBronx, State of New York, have made a certain new and useful inventionin Door-Control Apparatus, ot which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to door control apparatus and especially to suchtype ot apparatus as is employed tor moving a door carrying acollapsible shoe wherein, when the shoe is collapsed, due to the sameencountering an obstruction, during its closing mover-nent.y the doormotor is actuated, either to arrest its closing movement or to etlect areversal of its movement. The special purpose of the invention is toprovide means for actuating the motor or its valve upon collapsingmovement of the shoe, which is simple in structure, economical tomanufacture, and highly etlicient in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a connecting mechanismbetween the collapsible door shoe and the motor which is extremelysensitive, but, at the same time, is composed of but few parts,requiring little or no attention to maintain the same in eticientsensitive operation.

A further object is to provide means of similar nature ttor preventingthe collapsing of the door after it has completed its movement towardsclosed position.

Further objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination,location and relative arrangement of parts. all as will be more fullyhereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawing. and finallypointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the figures Fig. l is a view in .elevation ot a doorinstallation embodying my invention, a part of the door shoe beingbroken away to disclose the construction' therein.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed view showing the top 1front edge of thedoor struc-ture showing theshoe covering removed.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed view partially in section showing`oneapplication of the invention wherein the door structure ei"- tects anactuation of the motor controlling Serial No. 457,595.

valve, the control valve in this instance being shown in section.

The same part is designated by the same reference numeral wherever itoccurs throughout the several views.

Reference numeral l designates a door unit construction including aslidable door 2 provided with a collapsible shoe 3 at the front edgethereof. Slidably secured to the rear edge ot the door is a door arm etwhich is controlled by a motor 5, which motor in turn is controlled by acontrol valve 6. While T do not desire to be limited or restricted toany particular type ot door motor or the actuating means tor controllingthe door movements, l have selected one simple and eh'icient type whichis commonly utilized today in the street, elevated and subway systems,wherein the motor 5 is of the dilferential type, the cylinder of smallerdiameter communicating by means of a pipe line 7, to passage 8, ot valve6, whereas the c vlinder of larger diameter communicates tl'irough pipeline 9 to passage 8 to valve 6,'the passage 8 of valve 6 likewise beingin communication with a pipe line l0 to fluid pressure supply source.The valve 6 is likewise provided with passages ll and l2 incommunication with each other and a handle 13 for controlling` the valveposition. Thus it will be seen that when the valve is in the position asshown fluid pressure from the pipe line l() passes through passage 8 ofvalve 6 to pipe lines .7 and il to the ends or" the respective cylindersot the motor 5 with the result that the differential pistons operatingwithin the motor 5 causes the door arm el to assume its door closedposition as illustrated in the drawing. To open the door the handle 13of valve 6 is turned clockwise so that passage il, l2. establishescommunication between the exhaust port or pipe 6l and the pipe line 9while at the same time the passage 8 breaks otll communication betweenthe source pipe l0 and the pipe line 9 but maintains communicationbetween source pipe l0 and pipe line 7, as will be readily understood,This movement ot the valve, while maintaining Huid pressure behind thepiston of smaller diameter in the motor 5, opens the cylinder of largerdiameter the-reot to exhaust Ithrough connection 6l with the result thatthe motor is therefore actuated, the arm el rocked and the door 2opened. It will therefore be apparent that with this .particular type4of motor illustrated, to effect the door opening movement of the motor,it is merely necessary to open the cylinder of larger diameter of motor5 to exhaust and while, as above stated, my invention in its broadestscope is not directed to any particular type of door motor control, Ihave illustrated my invention ot collapsible shoe construction ascontrolling this type ot motor to, upon being collapsed, exhaust thefluid pressure 'from behind the larger cylinder of motor 5. Inaccordance with my 'invention I mount on the front edge of Athe door oneor 4more ear lugs 15. In the form 'shown I employ two vear lugs 15, onenear vthe top and one near the bottom of the door. The top lugpivotyally supports intermediate its ends a three leg bell crank lever,one legr 16 ofwhich is securedto tliefront edgeotthe'shoe 3 which, itwill be understood, en'closesthe front edge of the door, the lugs 15,,and the levers `pivotally carried thereby. Another leg 17 ot the bellcrank lever has pivotally secured at the end thereof a rod 18, whichextends the substantial vertical 'height ol' the door for pivotalrmovement relative .thereto through one or more guide plates or collars19, which guide plates or collars are secured to the door in anysuitable manner, .tor examplel` screwed thereto. `Wfith thisconstruction it will be seen that when .the'shoe is collapsed,forfexa'mple, vas by meeting an obstruction during the closing `movementoit the door, the lbell crank lever is rocked, withthe resultthat therod 18 is drawn upwardly. To insure the movement ot the rod 18irrespective of what portion of the door shoe comes in contact'v withthe obstruction, I prefer to pivotally mount a bell crank lever in thebottom lug 15, which lbell crank lever is provided with a leg 16, whichat one end carries the door shoe and the other end is secured to the rod18 to similarly, upon collapse of the door shoe at this portion thereof,cause the rod 18 to travel upwardly relatively to the door. By means ofthis arrangement an extremely sensitive collapsible shoe structure liseffected, whereby, at any point throughout the entire height of thedoor, an obstruction will eect the upward movement of the rod 18, and ifthe obstruction occurs in the centre of the door, where in practice itis more apt to.` and, in fact, does more often occur, both bell cranklevers are actuated and operate in unison and in conjunction with eachother. To yinsure the shoe being retained'in its normal extendedpositionand to returnthe same to itsnorm'al extended position after the same'has been collapsed, as, Ator-exai'nple, `on meet- .ing an obstruction,I Ymount one or more fs'prin'gs 20, preferably "of Ythe .coil type,roperfatinglhetw'een 'theguide'plates 'or f collars `.15.9,

and similar collars 21, which springs are compressed when the rod 18 ismoved upwardly. It is obvious that any other equivalent means may beemployed for this purpose but I have found the foregoing, as described,suiiicient and eliicient. Extending through the bottom of the door andpivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the rear of the door, asshown at 22, is a lever 23, the front end 'of which is provided with ahole through which the rod 18 extends, the rod 18 being providedwith ahead 24 at the end thereof to prevent the same from being drawncompletely through the hole. The lever 23 extends through a looselyfitting slide collar 25 carried by or secured to what I will'term thereverse valve 26 so that the rod may freely pass through the slidecollar 25 during the opening and unobstructed closing movements of thedoor. The slide .collar 25 is likewise made suiiiciently -loose topermit a slight 'pivotal movement ot the lever 23 there-in.

The "form of reverse valve selected orthe purpose of illustrationconsists of a vsupply 'port 30 in communication with anysuitable sourceof supply which allows fluid pressure vto enter into a valve controlledpassage, which valve ispreferablyof the puppettype, .provided 'withastem lextending thro-ugh the` top of the reverse. valve structure andterminating .directly under the lever 23. The. valve controls thepassage. 32, which communicates vbeneath a plunger 33, which Iplungercontrols-a valve 34, which normally closes a passage extending betweenexhaust port 35 and pipeline 36, which is incommunication with thecylinder ot larger diameter of motor 5. It will be seen, therefore,that` when the` valve stem 81 is depressed,

v:fluid pressure is supplied from line 30',

through passage 32, under the plunger 33, thereby v'lifting lvalve 34:oft' of its seat and allowing the fluid pressure in the cylinder oflarger diameter to escape through the pipe line 86, and exhaust port 35,thereby ellecting` a reve-1sei-move.1nent of the door. Due tothe factthattluid pressure is constantly supplied to thecylinder of smallerdiameter of motor 5, it will therefore be seen, ythat il the .motorcontrol valve is in the position shown 4in Fig. 1 to' cause the door tomove towards `'its closed position, if the door meets an obstructionwhich collapses the shoe 3, therod v18will thereby .be raised, the lever23'rocked about its pivotal connection to the door 22 and thev valvestem 81 depressed with the ensuing operation hereinafter described.

It isdesirahle in this type otidoor'operatingfapparatusfto prevent thecollapsing of v'the door shoe when-and after the door v:has becomecompletely Ai'closed, Vvto fthereby pre- `vei'it 4reversal -ot Athe'door .motor through deliberate negligence, mischief, or accident whenthe car is in motion. This maybe accomplished in many ways, for example,by properly positioning the reverse valve 26, or by utilizing properlength of lever 23. It will readily be apparent that when the doorreaches its closed position the end `of the lever 23 may be ont ofvertical alignmentwith the valve stem 31, whereby, should the shoe becollapsed and the lever 23 thereby rocked, the reverse valve 26 wouldnot be operated. Therefore, even though the door shoe should becollapsed, the door could not be opened because the door operating arm-t will have assumed its horizontal position to thereby eect a lock forthe door in its closed position in the manner now known in the art.Alternative and additional means may be employed for this purpose, ,foreX- ample, that sho-wn in Figures 1 and 2, whereby the third leg 40 ofthe bell crank lever comes into contact with a pin 41 carried by thedoor j amb- 42 when the door has reached its completely closed positionto thereby prevent even the collapsing of the shoe by preventing anypivotal movement of the bell crank lever relative toits supporting lug15 and consequently preventing any relative movement between the rod 18and the door and in consequence any rocking of the lever 23.

Many other modifications and changes may be made in the details withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention as described in thespecification and pointed out in the appended claims. Therefore, what Iclaim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1.The combination with a door, and an operating motor therefor, of acollapsible shoe supported at the front edge of the door, a slide rod,means on said door on which said rod is pivotally supported intermediateits ends, means for rocking said rod about its pivotal support when saiddoor shoe is co-llapsed, and a motor control device actuated by said rodwhen rocked, and means for preventing the actuation of said motorcontrol device after said door has completed its movement towards closedposition.

2. The combination with a door, and an operating motor therefor, of acollapsible shoe supported at the front edge of the door, a slide rod,means on said door on which said rod is pivotally supported intermediateits ends, connections between said shoe-and said rod whereby said rod isrocked about its pivotal support when said shoe is collapsed, and amotor control device actuated-.by said rod when rocked, and means forpreventing the actuation of said motor contro-l device after said doorhas completed its movement towards closed position.

3. The combination with a door, andan operating motor therefor, of acollapsible shoe supported at the front edge of the door, a slide rodpivotally supported intermediate its ends by said door, means forrocking said rod about its pivotal support when said door shoe iscollapsed, and a motor control device actuated by said rod when rocked,and means for preventing said shoe from being collapsed after said doorhas reached its closed position.

4. The combination with a door, and an operating motor therefor, of acollapsible shoe supported at the front edge of the door, a slide rodpivotally supported intermediate its ends by said door, connectionsbetween said shoe and said rod whereby said rod is rocked about itspivotal support when said shoe'is collapsed, and a motor control deviceactuated by said rod when rocked, and means for preventing said shoefrom being collapsed after said door has reached its closed position.

5. The combination with a door and an operating motor therefor, of ashoe pivotally supported at the front edge of the door, a

vvertical rod slidably mounted in said shoe,

means" for moving said rod when said shoe is collapsed, a slide rod, abracket on said door on which said rod is pivotally supported betweenits ends, and connected at one end to said vertical rod, and a motorcontrol device actuated by said slide rod when rocked, and means forpreventing the actuation of said motor control device after said doorhas completed its movement towards closed position.

6. The combination with a door and an operating motor therefor, of ashoe pivotally supported at the front edge of the door, a vertical rodslidably mounted in said shoe, means for moving said rod when said shoeis collapsed, a slide rod pivotally supported between its ends by saiddoor, and connected at one end to said vertical rod, and a motor controldevice actuated by said slide rod when rocked, and means for preventingsaid shoe from being collapsed after said door has reached its closedposition.

7. The combination with a door and an operating motor therefor, of ashoe pivotally supported at the front edge of the door, a vertical rodslidably mounted in said shoe, means for moving said rod when said shoeis collapsed, a slide rod pivotally supported between its ends on saiddoor, and connected at one end to said vertical rod whereby each end ofsaid slide rod is caused to oscillate as the vertical rod moves; a motorcontrol device actuated by the movement of said slide rod, and means foryieldingly retaining said shoe in its extended position.

8. The combination with a door and an operating motor therefor, of ashoe pivotally supported at the front edge of the door, a

Vertical rod slidably mounted n said Shoe, means for moving said rodwhen Said Shoe is collapsed, d slide rod pivotally supported between itsends on said door, by a pivot pin and connected at one end to Saidvertical rod, and a nglotor control device actuated by said slide rodwhen rocked, land means assoelated with Said vertical rod for yield'nglyopposing any movement thereof frelatve to Said door.

n testimony whereof I havehel'ennto Set my hand on this 30 day of Match'A41),

ALBERT GOTTSCHALK.

